The present invention generally relates to the detection of missing components in a package, particularly to an x-ray scanner and processing system for detecting missing components in a package, and specifically to an x-ray scanner and processing system for detecting missing components which can have a variety of positions within a package.
A number of products are marketed in the form of multiple components which are included within a sealed package, with the consumer removing the components from the package at a location remote from the point of purchase and combining those components to form the final product. As the components are located within the package, the manufacturer as well as the consumer are unable to verify whether or not the package includes all components until after the package is opened. As many products are now mechanically packaged, packages where all the components are not there, where multiple components are present, and like deficiencies will be created depending upon machinery reliability. As such packaging errors are a major cause of consumer complaints especially when packages do not include all the necessary components to produce the final product, there exists a need for systems to detect whether the proper components are present in the package without requiring the opening of such packages.
One manner of such detection is by weighing the final package after sealing. This suffers from several shortcomings including reliability of correctly weighing the individual packages as they are being conveyed on a conveyor. Similarly, the weight of a component may be such that if one component were omitted (or a duplicate included), the package including the remaining components would be within the range of weights for the package including all components manufactured within the normal manufacturing tolerances.
Also, the components could be manufactured including identifiers which can be sensed outside of the package. However, it can then be appreciated that this has limitations in the number of identifiers which can be included in a single package and still be separately identifiable, typically requires extra manufacturing steps, and results in false negatives as the components could be present in the package but either the identifiers were omitted or could not be sensed from outside of the package.
X-ray scanning systems have had wide commercial success in the detection of contaminants in a package. Typical applications would be detecting metal in food products, bone portions in fillets, lumps or clumps in powdered or semi fluid components, or the like. Although prior x-ray scanning systems have been utilized for detecting missing components, use of x-ray scanning systems were generally limited to packages where the components are in a consistent position within the packages. Example packages would include egg cartons, TV dinners, and the like.
X-ray scanning detection systems are desirable for several reasons including but not limited to they do not require use of identifiers, do not require any modifications to the production line upstream from the detection system, do not leave marks or have the potential of damaging the sealed package and the like. Thus, a need exists for an x-ray scanning system which is able to detect which packages include one or more missing components where the components can have a variety of arrangements or positions within the package and which do not generate a substantial number of false negatives.
The present invention solves this need and other problems in the field of package x-ray detection systems and methods by, in the most preferred form, comparing the combined value of a multiplicity of outputs of radiation detectors corresponding to areas of a package with a standard value for a package including all desired components and rejecting any packages having package values that do not meet the standard value. In the most preferred form, the multiplicity of outputs are generated by moving the packages on a conveyor between a fan shaped beam x-ray radiator and a row of detectors.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a novel x-ray scanner and processing system.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel x-ray scanner and processing system which is not orientation dependent.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel x-ray scanner and processing system especially useful for detecting missing components in a package where the components can have a variety of positions or arrangements inside of the package.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel x-ray scanner and processing system substantially eliminating the generation of false negatives.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.